A New Life With an Old Enemy
by Seething Pyro
Summary: The war has been going on for 4 years. Harry and Ron are soldiers, Hermione is a nurse, and Draco has remained neutral. What happens when Hermione shows up at Draco's door looking for help?
1. The First Meeting

CHAPTER 1~ The First Meeting  
  
The war was continuing to become more deadly by the minute. The dark side was becoming weaker, but still refused 2 give up. The light side knew that victory was still a long way off, they were getting more supporters and were training them to be put into battle.  
  
This was the fourth year of the War for Power, as they called it. Harry Potter was now twenty years old and a strong soldier and supporter of the light side. Ron Weasley was still his best friend and was fighting by his side. Although she wanted desperately to become a soldier, Hermione Granger was refused for the sheer fact that she was a female. Instead, she became a nurse so that she could take care of the wounded soldiers. All of this had been expected by the entire wizarding community.  
  
The surprising factor was one Draco Malfoy. He had taken on a neutral position during the war. He refused the light side because he disliked their reasons for starting the war in the first place. He had also turned down Voldemort. Because of this, he was disowned. Lucius Malfoy refused to take claims to him because "A true Malfoy wouldn't have even dreamt of refusing the Dark Lord."  
  
~  
  
Draco was sitting in the study of his quiet mansion reading when there was a loud, repeated knock at his front door. He grabbed his wand off the desk and walked into the main hallway so he could see who was disturbing him. When he opened the door, a beautiful woman stood before him. Lowering his wand, he stared at her and she stared back. **I know her** he thought. **She looks so damn familiar** Suddenly it clicked. "Granger?" he asked as his eyes widened in shock.  
  
"Malfoy," she nodded in response.  
  
"It-how have you been? I haven't seen you since graduation."  
  
"I've been fine, but I'm not here to talk about old school arguments or what you've been up to and petty things like that. I'm a nurse for the light side, and we need a new place to keep our injured soldiers-a place where no one would suspect. Do you think we could use a spare room here?" she mumbled quickly.  
  
"Why my house?"  
  
"Because it's probably the biggest house within 1000 miles, and I also happen to know that it's the most protected. We really need you help. I know that we never exactly got along well in school, but we need to put out differences aside so we can save the lives of the soldiers."  
  
"Uh sure. I have a few spare rooms you could use. You wanna come in for a cup of coffee or something? It's pretty cold out there."  
  
"Could we hold off for about an hour or so so we can get everyone transferred here?"  
  
"Yeah that's -uh no problem."  
  
"You don't mind do you? I kinda feel bad about doing this." She looked into his grey eyes and noted that they were warmer than they had been at Hogwarts.  
  
"It's really no problem. Like I said before, I have enough spare rooms. I live alone, it's not like you'll be bothering anyone. Except maybe me, and you've never really had a problem with that before." He smirked his trademark smirk. The same smirk that had taunted Hermione for seven years now returned to the pale, young man's lips. The strands of blonde hair that fell across his gorgeous grey eyes made him look almost angelic.  
  
"So I'll be back in about an hour then," Hermione confirmed.  
  
He nodded and Hermione disapparated with a soft pop.  
  
Back at the base, Hermione informed the other nurses that they would be able to transfer all the patients to Draco Malfoy's house. Most of them looked a little tentative at first, but Hermione assured them that everything would be perfectly safe. Once they had all agreed, they began to move the patients to the large manor.  
  
Within forty-five minutes, all the patients had been transferred and Draco and Hermione were sitting in the kitchen. Both had a mug of coffee and were sitting in a relatively comfortable silence. Draco broke the silence by saying, "So are you eventually gunna marry Potter or Weasley?"  
  
"No! They're like my brothers. That would just be ugh-wrong," she answered. "Whatever happened between you and Pansy?"  
  
"She left me when I was disowned. I knew she didn't love me and I didn't love her, but I had never been without her. We were forced together as children, and the reason she clung to me so tightly was because she was began paid a large sum of money by both Lucius and her father. After Lucius disowned me, he paid her five times the normal amount he would to dump me. To tell you truthfully, I wasn't exactly crushed; I knew it was coming. I'm better off on my own. I never loved her and I don't think I ever could. I was never shown love therefore I never gave any in return. I think I was born with a stone heart," he explained. It was almost as if they were long time friends who were just catching up with each other's lives.  
  
"Draco, no one is born with a stone heart. People will sometimes put on a cover to hide their true feelings. It's kinda like a complex or something."  
  
"You called me Draco."  
  
"Yeah I guess I did." She smiled warmly at him. In her heart, she had already forgiven him for the years of torment he had put her through. She knew that it had all been necessary for his survival. No doubt she had been hurt at times, but she knew the pain that Draco had felt was much worse.  
  
"You've never called me by my real name before, ever. I like how it sounds when you say it." He returned the smile. It was the first genuine smile that Hermione had ever seen him wear.  
  
"You look good when you smile," Hermione commented.  
  
"You've seen me smile before."  
  
"No I haven't. You always smirk. There is definitely a difference. I have never seen you truly smile until just now. You should smile more often; it makes your whole face light up.  
  
"Thanks, Hermione," her name rolled off his tongue as if he had been saying it his entire life.  
  
They chatted for a while longer about their lives after Hogwarts. Draco had been working in the Ministry of Magic. He was one of the few male wizards that had not taken sides in the war.  
  
"I should be getting upstairs now," Hermione said. She got up and moved toward the door to exit the kitchen.  
  
"Hermione," Draco called after her getting up himself.  
  
"Yeah, Draco?"  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For all the shit I put you through during school. I'm sorry about the whole mudblood thing and the shit with Rita Skeeter and getting you into trouble when you didn't do anything wrong and for just being a total prick for seven years of your life when you didn't deserve any of it. Is there anyway that you can forgive me?"  
  
"I've already forgiven you a long time ago. I know it was all just an act, and if you didn't act like a total jackass Lucius probably would have killed you." She paused for a second then continued, "I should be the one apologizing though. I used to be so naïve and dense. I had absolutely no idea what you were going through. To me you were always a rich, spoiled brat. Instead of answering you or fighting back, I could have at least tried to figure out your reasoning behind it all. It wasn't until after we graduated that I started to figure things out."  
  
"That wasn't your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for. You were always the perfect student-the model Gryffindor, Prefect for two years, Head Girl, you even had the highest marks the school has ever seen. You could do it all, and I was jealous."  
  
Hermione could feel her cheeks turn red. "I was far from perfect, I just didn't get caught. You don't know how many times I snuck out after hours, whether I was alone or with Ron and Harry. If I had gotten caught every time I snuck out, that too would be a new school record." At this they both laughed a little. "I really do have to get back, though. I feel bad about leaving the other nurses to do everything."  
  
"I'll walk upstairs with you. There's not much else I can do anyway," he offered.  
  
"Alright," she agreed.  
  
They walked in silence until they reached their destination. "I guess I'll see you later," Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah later. If you need me, I'll be in my study if you need me. Don't hesitate to come down."  
  
She nodded her head and pushed the door open. "Thanks for the coffee."  
  
"It was no problem." She smiled and headed into the big, bright room.  
  
"Hermione, where have you been?" Ginny Weasley called. "It's hell in here. Help me clean up some of these newcomers."  
  
Hermione walked over to where Ginny was and did some cleaning and healing spell on the man that lay before her.  
  
"You didn't answer my question," Ginny pointed out after a few minutes.  
  
"Oh, that. Malfoy wanted to talk to me. He was actually being very civil. He gave me a cup of coffee and we talked for a little while."  
  
"Well that's lucky!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"He's only the hottest guy I've ever laid eyes on. Sure Harry's good- looking, but Draco's a god compared to him!"  
  
"Looks aren't everything, Gin," Hermione reminded her.  
  
"I know, but still, almost every girl in Hogwarts hallowed the ground he walked on."  
  
"Yeah but-" She didn't know what to say. Draco had always been so mean to her at Hogwarts. They had hated each other for seven years, and now he was acting as if they had been great friends the whole time. She had always heard that there was a fine line between love and hate, but she didn't know exactly how fine that line was.  
  
Hermione walked over to another bed and began examining the patient. He had obviously lost a lot of blood and there were deep gashes all over his body. She did a quick spell to heal the wounds and called for a blood transfusion. Soon there were nurses bustling around him with blood and IVs.  
  
Hermione checked up on most of the men in the room and was running around seeing if they were comfortable and that they weren't in much pain.  
  
At about midnight, Draco came in and handed her a cup of coffee. "What's this for?" she asked.  
  
"It looks like you could use it. It looks like you're gunna fall asleep on you feet," he stated simply.  
  
"Yeah I think I am." She smiled a little and looked around the room at the sleeping soldiers. "You know, I dread the day that one of my friends shows up in here. I don't think I could handle that. I don't want to see them in pain."  
  
"I'm sure they're fine." He gave her an encouraging smile. "They always seemed to managed to get themselves out of troublesome situations at school."  
  
"This is different, it's war. There are people out there who could kill them off with one curse. They could be blown to bits and I wouldn't find out. I told them not to become soldiers, but they ignored my pleas. They don't know how much danger they put themselves in. They think they're invincible, but they're not. Everyone dies."  
  
"I'm sure they'll pull through. They got training didn't they? They'll be able to protect themselves from many of the curses."  
  
"I hope you're right, Draco. I really hope you're right."  
  
Draco wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned into his warm embrace.  
  
Ginny looked over to wear Draco and Hermione were holding each other, and a wave of jealousy spread throughout her body. She had Harry, but she was willing to throw everything she had with him to spend just one night with Draco. She knew she shouldn't feel that way because she really did love Harry, but she just found everything about Draco to be so sexy.  
  
Draco felt comfortable around Hermione. She made him feel like nothing else in the world mattered, and he liked how she made him feel complete. He leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly. "You should really get some sleep," he whispered. "Many of the other nurses have already found a couch and curled up for the night."  
  
"I can't," she yawned. "I hafta stay here." As she spoke her eyelids began to droop.  
  
Draco noticed this and said, "You're going to bed. Don't even bother trying to argue with me, you won't win." He put one of his arms around her shoulders and took the now empty coffee mug out of her hands.  
  
He led her up to his room and told her to sleep on his bed. She hardly even heard him. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep. Draco covered her with a blanket and fell asleep in the chair by the window.  
  
~  
  
Hermione woke up the next morning in a bed with silk black sheets in a very unfamiliar room. She looked around and noticed a sleeping figure in a chair by the window. Quietly, she walked over to him and gently shook him awake.  
  
"What time is it?" he asked groggily.  
  
"How's your back feeling?" she asked feeling a little concerned.  
  
"Like it was stabbed with about five hundred needles. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Quite well, actually. Why don't you get up so I can do a spell to release the pain?"  
  
"Okay, thanks." He stood up slowly and a bit shakily. It was obvious that he was straining not to cry put in pain. He still hated to show others his weaknesses. Hermione performed a quick spell and the pain was gone almost instantaneously.  
  
"You didn't have to sleep like that you know. I wouldn't have really minded if you wanted to sleep in your bed."  
  
"I was just trying to be nice. I don't know how you would have felt about that anyway."  
  
"It's not like we were planning on having sex."  
  
"Yeah, but we haven't exactly been the greatest friends over the years. I didn't know if you would feel comfortable sleeping in the same bed with me, that's all."  
  
"I wouldn't have minded. This is your house and your bed, so you should get to sleep in it. I would have slept on the chair."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous! I would never do that to a woman."  
  
"Okay. Let's not argue over something so stupid. Is there a bathroom in here? I could really use a shower."  
  
"Right through that door." He pointed to a door on the left. Hermione thanked him and walked in.  
  
**Wow, she's grown even prettier since our days at Hogwarts. I should just tell her how I feel and get it over with. Why am I so scared lately? When she comes out, I'm just gunna tell her. It can't be that hard** Draco thought.  
  
Hermione walked into the large bathroom. It looked very much like the Prefect's bathroom at Hogwarts. She turned some of the taps on the tub until it was filled and she slipped into the warm water. ^^I have to tell him how I really feel about him. He's the reason why I haven't gone on any dates since Hogwarts. Every time I'm asked out I see his face and I turn them down. I have to tell him. Once I'm done, I'll finally tell him the truth^^  
  
She finished her bath and while later and put on some clean clothes. She opened the door and walked over to Draco.  
  
"Hermione" "Draco" they said together.  
  
"I've liked you since we went to Hogwarts."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I've liked you since we went to Hogwarts."  
  
"Oh my God!" 


	2. A Death in the Family

CHAPTER 2~ A Death in the "Family"  
  
"You have?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah, since third year. I didn't want anyone to know back then, so I covered it up. I've been hoping to see you again since graduation, but I never thought it would happen."  
  
"I've turned down so many guys in the past three years. Every time one of the asked me out I would think of you and I would pray that I'd see you again. It's been three years since I've seen you and you still look the same, but you've matured so much, and that makes me all the more attracted to you."  
  
"Do you wanna go out with me tonight?" he asked.  
  
"I hafta work, you know that. I'm supposed to be there right now. The other nurses are gunna be so mad at me. I'm supposed to have a high status and if they think I'm blowing off my responsibilities they won't respect me."  
  
"You can go down there now, but I'll act like the cunning Slytherin I was and think of a way to get you out." A smirk appeared on him lips and it made Hermione think that he was up to no good.  
  
"Alright, I'll see you later then." She walked out of the room and headed down the stairs. Of course she wanted to go out with Draco, but she had so much responsibility with her nursing, and she couldn't let her job go to hell.  
  
When she arrived, she was met with a horrible sight-there was a wounded soldier in almost every bed. Most of them were spitting up blood and some had their insides on their outsides. No matter what their condition was, they were al crying out in agony.  
  
She rushed to the nearest bed and gave the young man a potion to dull his pain and a potion to put him to sleep. She expertly mended his severe wounds and moved onto the next bed.  
  
The war wasn't looking to good for the light side by the looks of this. Judging from the amount of wounded soldiers, they had probably been snuck up on at night and attacked.  
  
After four years of training she was able to handle any amount of blood that was spurting from the soldiers. What she couldn't handle was seeing the fiery red hair that belonged to one of her best friends in the next bed with his intestines coming out of his stomach. She knew that there was absolutely nothing in the world that could be done for him. There was no spell great enough and no potion strong enough that could fix this type of injury.  
  
Hermione knelt down next to his bed with tears flowing from her big brown eyes. "Ron?"  
  
"Hey 'Mione."  
  
"I'm so sorry. There's nothing I can do for you," she whispered.  
  
"I know. Harry's still fighting though. There's still hope. He'll be the one who puts an end to all this bullshit. I want you to know that I'll never leave you. My body will die, but my spirit will live on. Always remember the good times we shared. Remember the good times, Hermione."  
  
"I will Ron. I will never forget you. You were like the brother I never had. You were always there when I needed you. I'm going to miss you so much."  
  
"Goodbye, Hermione."  
  
"Goodbye, Ron."  
  
With that Ronald Weasley closed his eyes and would never open them again. Hermione stayed by his bedside and cried and cried. When she thought she had no more tears to cry, they started all over again. She just watched her best friend die because of Death Eaters-the people she hated most.  
  
~  
  
Draco was walking past the room that had been turned into the hospital wing. He took a quick peek inside and basically saw what he had expected to see-a bunch of crying, bleeding soldiers. When he looked more carefully, he saw Hermione bent over a bed, crying her eyes out. As he stepped forward a few more steps, he noticed flaming red hair, and he knew at once whom she had been crying over.  
  
He pulled her up to her feet and put his arms around her small body. She was now sobbing into his broad chest. Draco just held her close to him. He was feeling guilty because the day before he had said that both Harry and Ron could take care of themselves.  
  
"Hermione, come on. Let's get out of here for a little while," he whispered. He tried to walk, but she didn't move, only held to him tighter. Without really thinking, he picked her up and carried her to his room.  
  
She still hadn't finished crying when he placed her on the bed, but her sobs had become quieter. "He's dead, Draco. My best friend is dead. Why? Why Ron?"  
  
He didn't have an answer for her. There was absolutely nothing that he could do to change what had happened, and he knew that. Hermione's tears had finally subsided, but her eyes were red and puffy, and her cheeks were tear-streaked.  
  
"Are you gunna be alright?" Draco asked comfortingly.  
  
"In time," she answered. "He wants me to remember all the good times we shared. I'm gunna miss him so much. I knew this day would come, I just didn't know when."  
  
"Is there anything I can do to help you? I'll do anything for you, I swear."  
  
"There is. Don't leave me. Please stay with me today and tonight. Please?"  
  
"I will." He looked into her beautiful, brown eyes and saw them become slightly happier as he said this.  
  
Draco hated to see Hermione looking so helpless. She had always been so strong and was always able to fight back. Now, though, it looked like she was much older than twenty. Her face was hard and her eyes melancholy. No longer did Draco see the bossy eleven year old, or the witty twelve year old, or even the thirteen year old who had enough courage to bitch slap him. No, he saw the Hermione who had grown up too fast. He saw the Hermione who knew more than people who were twice her age. No longer was she the free spirited girl who cared only about her grades. She was the woman who loved her best friends dearly and was now looking for comfort in the man that was once her enemy.  
  
When Hermione looked into Draco's deep grey eyes, she saw something that she had never seen there before-concern. It was then that she realized that he was no longer the eleven year old daddy's boy, or the twelve year old that had no problem making fun of her heritage, nor was he the thirteen or fourteen year old that would lie just to make her life a living hell. He was now a man who had acquired true feelings. He could now look at a person without judging them before he truly got to know them.  
  
Neither of them wanted to break their eye contact with the other. They both jumped as they heard a soft knock on the door. "Who's there?" Draco asked sounding a bit annoyed.  
  
"Ginny," came the girl's soft reply. "Can I come in?"  
  
"Sure," Draco answered, although he was pissed at her impeccable timing.  
  
She took one look at Draco and Hermione holding each other on the bed, looking slightly disheveled. Anger and jealousy began flooding through her veins. "My brother is dead down there and all you can think about is fucking him?" Ginny yelled at Hermione.  
  
"I did no such thing! I have been crying my eyes out for hours over Ron's death. I'm glad you finally realized it was your own brother down there. I noticed right away. It's good to know how much you truly cared for him! I would also like to know what Harry, you boyfriend would think if he knew that you were gawking over Draco's looks. I don't think he'd be happy! And don't you dare be jumping to conclusions about this!" she pointed between Draco and herself. "Draco was trying to comfort me because un-like some people, I care for my family! Yes, family! Ron was like a brother to me!" Hermione yelled back. Her thoughts had become a mess. Everything was racing back and forth across her mind like a racehorse. She had no idea what she had just yelled incoherently. A new round of tears flooded out of Hermione's eyes. Again, she leaned on Draco for comfort.  
  
"It would be best if you leave," Draco said coldly. "You wouldn't want to witness what's happening in here, would you?"  
  
Ginny glared at him before turning on her heal to leave.  
  
Draco wrapped his strong arms around Hermione's frail body and drew her closer to him. Her hands were gripping tightly to his black shirt and he could feel her tears soaking through his shirt and onto his delicate skin.  
  
A few years ago he would have never imagined that he would really be in this position. He had dreamt about it many times, but his dreams rarely ever came true. Draco moved his hand up to Hermione's pale face and wiped her last few tears away with his thumb.  
  
She looked up into his grey eyes and saw that he really did care for her. "Why are you putting up with me?" she asked softly. "I don't deserve this kind of attention."  
  
"You deserve more than I could ever give you," he answered sincerely. "You deserve to be happy. You shouldn't have to witness or feel all the pains that life brings. You deserve all the best and only the best."  
  
"I don't deserve anything. I'm weak and I can't handle.anything."  
  
"Why are you putting yourself down? It's not exactly what I would call a healthy habit."  
  
"It's not, but I can't help it. I feel like my life is one big joke. I was born a muggle and accepted into a wizarding school, that's funny. I befriended one of the most famous wizards in the world and his best friend in my first year, rather shocking and a bit funny. Then the person who I thought hated me for ten years of my life all of a sudden comes out and says that he never really did hate me. My life is a joke. It's un-real."  
  
"How is all that so hard to believe? Your name will be secured in the history of Hogwarts for a very long time," he reminded her.  
  
"That's it! That's exactly what everyone will think! When someone hears the name Hermione Granger they'll say, 'Oh yeah, she's that bookworm who had the highest marks in the history of Hogwarts!' WOW! That's who I wanna be remembered as," she said sarcastically.  
  
"Well at least people will know who you are. When someone hears the name Draco Malfoy they'll say, 'Is he the one that was disowned by his Death Eater father?' Yup, exactly how I want to be remembered."  
  
"People don't have to be remembered to be a great person. You should only worry about what you think, not what the rest of the world thinks."  
  
"Hypocrite," he muttered under his breath.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Yes?" he answered with the most innocent look on his face.  
  
"What did you call me?" she demanded but only half-heartedly.  
  
"I called you a hypocrite. You tell me not to worry about what the rest of the world thinks, yet you were the one complaining about being remembered as 'bookworm Granger.' That's a bit hypocritical if you ask me."  
  
"I didn't think you'd pick up on that." She blushed slightly.  
  
"Oh no! I wouldn't. Was it because back in school I was as dumb as a rock?"  
  
"I didn't mean that. It was because Harry and Ron were making fun of you and I didn't want it to look like I was defending you so I said it. Hey, how'd you know about that?"  
  
Draco looked at her like she had three heads. His brow was furrowed and it looked like he was desperately trying to remember something.  
  
"Oh gods! You never heard about that?" Hermione asked in pure shock. Her eyes widened as she said this. He shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.  
  
"You said that?"  
  
"Draco, I didn't mean anything by it, honestly. It-it was just." she trailed off.  
  
In all honestly, Draco wasn't in the least bit offended. He knew he hadn't work as hard as he should have and that he only did the minimum amount of work needed to pass. The truth was, he found it quite amusing when Hermione was flustered. Her face turned a bright shade of red and she looked away from him. He began laughing out loud.  
  
"What's so funny?" she asked defensively.  
  
"You got all flustered even though I know what you said was true. I just find it amusing."  
  
She hit him playfully on the arm. "That's not funny!"  
  
"Yes it is." He continued to laugh and she eventually joined him.  
  
Draco was happy with this result. He was glad that it had taken her mind off of her lost friend for at least a few minutes. **She has a great smile** he thought as they continued laughing together. 


	3. A Night on the Beach

CHAPTER 3~ A Night on the Beach  
  
After a while, Draco said, "How 'bout we go to dinner now?"  
  
Hermione bit her bottom lip and began chewing on it. "Well-I-I really- downstairs-they'll need me. I don't know. I mean, I do want to go with you, but what about the soldiers?" she stuttered.  
  
"I'm sure they'll understand why you took most of the day off. Let's go out. We'll have a good time. You'll come back, get some sleep, and be ready for work tomorrow morning. Doesn't that sound like a good idea?"  
  
A small smile played across her lips. "It really does sound like a good idea. Ugh-I am so getting demoted after this."  
  
"No you won't. You get demoted and there'll be hell to pay. I won't let them demote you. You've had a rough day."  
  
"Thanks, Draco."  
  
"No problem. Hurry up, let's get going."  
  
"Where are we going?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Just out. I love to be out at night. There's no better time of day in my opinion." He opened the window and stuck his head out. He felt a cool breeze dance across his face and through his silky, blonde, hair. **Perfect night for a broom ride-a cool breeze, a full moon, and the stars decorating the sky. It's beautiful!**  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Checking to see how nice it is."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I wanna take you for a broom ride."  
  
"Oh no! I'm terrified of flying. It's-scary."  
  
"I promise I won't let you fall," he said holding his hand out to her and grabbing his broom from the corner.  
  
She took his hand and he pulled her up to him. Draco mounted his broom and she got on in front of him, and gripped the broom tightly.  
  
"Ready?" Draco asked as he placed his hands in front of Hermione's  
  
"If you don't go now, I might change my mind."  
  
"Then we're off."  
  
Hermione slammed her eyes closed as Draco kicked off the ground. Draco felt her body tense as they rose higher into the night air. Her eyes opened and she looked around. It wasn't as bad as she first expected.  
  
"You okay?" Draco asked her.  
  
"Yeah, fine." She relaxed a little as Draco placed one of his hands around her waist and drew her closer to him. She leaned back into his chest and closed her eyes again; only this time she closed them in comfort.  
  
"Where do you wanna go?" he asked.  
  
"Wherever. I don't particularly care."  
  
"Somewhere loud or quiet?"  
  
"I don't know. You choose."  
  
"No, I want you to. I don't wanna disappoint you by taking you somewhere you'll hate."  
  
"How 'bout we go down to a beach and conjure up some food?"  
  
"Sounds good to me." He steered his broom toward the ocean and landed smoothly on the white sand. No one was there, which he had expected since it was pretty late. He conjured up a blanket and some food for them to eat. "Wanna listen to music?"  
  
"Yeah, sure," she said with a smile.  
  
He did a spell to make soft music come from all around them. Her face lit up as she sat down on the blanket and started nibbling on a piece of cheese.  
  
Draco watched her intently as he used magic to put a sandwich together for himself. He caught her eye and she smiled at him. He smiled back then looked out at the water that was pounding against the rocky ledges and coming up onto the sand.  
  
Her eyes became transfixed on the stars. She found them extremely beautiful. They were in their own world without the pain humans had to deal with. Sure stars eventually exploded, but it could take hundreds or thousands of years before people could actually witness it. They were hundreds of parsecs away and had their own vast world to live in.  
  
"Thank you, Draco," she said as she brought her gaze back down to meet his.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For taking me out here. It's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."  
  
He blushed a bit, but it wasn't noticeable in the darkness. "It's the least I could do. You deserve much better than what your life has handed you. You have dealt with all different types of pain, and a person likes you doesn't deserve to feel any."  
  
"Everyone feels pain at one point or another, Draco. It's part of life."  
  
"It shouldn't have to be. You don't deserve it, no one does. I hate that so many great wizards are dying in this fucking war! Their families have to go through hell because of it. It's all because a bunch of psychopathic bastards want more power that the rest of the world doesn't want them to have."  
  
"It'll all be over soon." She touched his cheek gently with her fingertips. "They will come to an agreement one way or another."  
  
He shook his head sadly. "I fear it won't be over for a long time."  
  
"Don't think like that," she said as she moved closer to him and brought her hand down to take his. "There will be an end to all this fighting. I know there will be. We will live to see it."  
  
"Are you sure about that? It only seems like it's getting worse."  
  
"I'm very sure. Harry will be the end to Voldemort. If Harry dies, Voldemort dies. If Harry lives, Voldemort dies. Either way, Voldemort dies, so I don't think it will last much longer."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"It was an ancient prophesy foretold by one of the greatest wizards of all time-Salazar Slytherin."  
  
"Was it really?" His eyes grew wide. This was all new information to him.  
  
"Yeah, almost everyone knows of it. It basically states that the boy who first brought about the fall of the Dark Lord will be the one to destroy him."  
  
Draco looked down at the hand that was still clasped in Hermione's. He turned toward her and saw her beautiful feature accentuated by the moonlight. She looked like a goddess to him.  
  
He leaned forward so that his face was only centimeters from hers. She knew what was coming and closed her eyes and inched forward until their lips met. Draco brought his free hand up to touch the smooth skin of Hermione's face as hers went to the back of his neck and through his silky, silvery-blonde hair. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip and she opened her mouth slightly to grant him access. He quickly began to explore all the crevices of her mouth and she let out a low moan as their tongues intertwined.  
  
As his hands began to roam all over her body, she pushed him away. He furrowed his brow and looked very confused. "I can't, Draco. I'm sorry," she mumbled.  
  
"Oh that's uh no problem." He turned his head once again and stared out over the ocean.  
  
"It's not that I don't want to. I just don't wanna rush into things and have my heart broken again. Trust me when I say it's me, not you."  
  
"It's alright," he shrugged.  
  
"You seem irritated."  
  
"I'm fine," he snapped.  
  
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. We should probably just go back." She stood up, but he pulled her back down onto the blanket.  
  
"No I don't wanna go yet." His voice became gentle again as he looked into her eyes. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I don't really know what came over me."  
  
"I just can't rush into things again. I've done it before and I've regretted it everyday since. I really do like you, Draco, but I'm not very good with relationships."  
  
"I understand."  
  
"You're not mad at me, are you?" she questioned tentatively.  
  
"No. It was just the initial shock from before. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping myself together and I get angered easily. I try not to let it happen, but I just can't help it sometimes."  
  
"It's alright. I just got scared for a second."  
  
"I'm sorry. You alright now?"  
  
"Yeah, fine," she answered with a meek smile.  
  
He returned the smile and caressed her cheek with his hand. She leaned into his caress and moved closer to him. His arms went instinctively around her and pulled her close to him. Her head rested on his shoulder and they laced their fingers together.  
  
Hermione looked out over the vast ocean and began to wonder why she was afraid of everything. She knew that Draco wasn't like the few other guys she dated, but for some reason she was still scared. Silent tears began to stream down her cheeks and she didn't know why.  
  
When Draco looked down at her, he noticed that tears that were flowing from her beautiful, brown eyes. "Hermione, why are you crying?"  
  
"I was just thinking about where my life has headed, and I realized how scared I have always been of taking a risk. I let so much of my life pass me by, and I just couldn't grasp onto it. I feel empty inside. I don't know what to make of anything, and I don't know why I'm thinking about this now."  
  
While he was listening to her, Draco kissed the tears from her cheeks. "You aren't afraid of taking risks. What about all those adventures you shared with Potter and Weasley? I know you were a rule-breaker back in school."  
  
"Since school ended I've been dead inside. Harry and Ron haven't been here with me. They were the reasons why I broke all the rules-I had accomplices most of the time, and they usually took the blame for me if we did happen to get caught."  
  
"Maybe you've just been caught up in the whole war that you don't really know what you want anymore. Maybe you just need to take a break."  
  
"Are you suggesting that I just stop working? I couldn't do that! This is my whole life! I live to help those poor soldiers." She looked up at him in total disbelief. In her mind, there was no possible way she could take a vacation.  
  
"Only for a month-two weeks even. I'll take you to a tropical muggle island so you can be away from all of this. Come on. It'll be fun."  
  
"I don't know," she said hesitantly.  
  
"How 'bout this? If I do anything you don't approve of, you can put me in a full body bind for as long as you want."  
  
"I wouldn't do that to you."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"That's too mean."  
  
He smirked a little. "Or you can just tell me that you don't approve. Either way works for me."  
  
"Draco, as much as I want to, there's this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that's saying not to go."  
  
He once again looked back out to the ocean. "I would never intentionally hurt you."  
  
"I know. I'm just afraid to leave all my responsibilities behind. The other nurses are already extremely jealous and I'll probably get fired if I just pick up and go on vacation like that."  
  
"I'll talk to them. I'll make them see that you deserve a nice vacation. You look so distraught lately, and I don't see the Hermione that I knew back in school. You're someone completely different and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"It's-I guess you seem more stressed out lately."  
  
"I am though. I've been working so hard, and I feel like it's for nothing. We've started to pull ahead some, but we're still a long way from victory, and everything can turn around again."  
  
"Okay, that's it. You definitely need a break from everything. I'll talk to Julie tonight about all of this."  
  
"How do you know Julie is my boss?"  
  
"I know more than you think." He smirked at her again and she shook her head slightly.  
  
"Alright, alright, I'll go with you, but only for two weeks."  
  
"I knew you'd see it my way. Now let's go back to my house." He stood and helper Hermione up to her feet. With a few flicks of his wand, Draco had cleared everything away, and they mounted his broom to fly back to the large manor. 


	4. Arrival

CHAPTER 4~ Arrival  
  
Hermione dismounted the broom as they landed softly on the floor in Draco's room. "Stay here while I go talk to Julie," Draco demanded easily. She nodded as he closed the door with a soft click.  
  
Draco walked swiftly down the familiar corridors of his manor. When he reached the nurses station that had been set up, Julie was there sorting through miscellaneous papers. She looked up when she saw a shadow looming over her. "Fancy seeing you here, Draco. If you're looking for Hermione, I haven't seen her since Weasley died earlier today," she said.  
  
"I'm not looking for Hermione. I know where she is," he dismissed her statement with the wave of his hand. I actually wanted to speak with you concerning Hermione."  
  
"Is that so? Well she's been slacking off since we arrived here, and she just took off today-"  
  
"Not about that," Draco interrupted. "I know that she's been working her ass off for you for years. I also know that she has never taken vacation time or even a day off, and she deserves that more than anyone here. I'm here to make sure she gets that vacation. I am taking her to Hawaii tomorrow for two weeks. And I demand that she not be demoted." He ran a hand through his hair to push it out of his eyes.  
  
Julie stared at him for a while trying to figure out if he was being serious, but she could not find a hint of humor on his face or in his voice. "Oh come on, Draco! What happened to the days when you wished her dead? You have hated her your entire life."  
  
"Firstly, I never wished death upon her. Second, I have never truly hated her. I've loved her since we were in our third year, and only now am I doing something about it. We're leaving tomorrow. Certain rooms will be locked while I am away, and if someone tries to open those doors, they will be met with a painful punishment. I bid you goodnight, and Hermione and I will see you in two weeks. Hopefully you along with the rest of the nurses will be in one piece." He smirked and turned around to leave.  
  
"Have a good time," he heard her faintly, but pretended not to hear as he headed back to his room.  
  
Hermione was sitting cross-legged on one side of the bed staring at the door intently. When he strided in, she smiled at the happy expression on his face. "We're good to go!" he exclaimed as he jumped onto the bed next to her.  
  
"She didn't give you any of her normal bullshit? That's unusual."  
  
"I actually think she was jealous. That's how it appeared at least."  
  
"If you weren't so blind, you would have noticed that they are all jealous. I hear them talking down there. Most of them have already made it clear that they would give almost anything to be in my shoes. I seriously don't know why they would do that. My life isn't so great. I mean, I know what they want, but really, everything else in my life sucks."  
  
Draco propped himself up on one arm and let the fingers of his other hand dance across her leg. "It can't be so bad. I'm sure you have plenty going for you."  
  
"Not exactly. My parents passed away a few years back, so I've basically been supporting myself. Now Ron's dead, Ginny hates me, and the rest of the Weasleys are in the war so I can't write to them because I have no idea what to tell them."  
  
"But you're beautiful, and you're smart, and you're very sweet-"  
  
"No I'm not," she snorted.  
  
"Yes you are. What happened to all that self-assurance that used to surround you like a blanket? You believed that you were better than everybody else."  
  
She rolled her eyes and pushed some strands of hair away from her face. "I stopped believing that when the war started."  
  
"It's true though. Believe in yourself again. It will help you."  
  
"I'll try."  
  
"Good. Now why don't you start packing? We've got a fun two weeks ahead of us."  
  
"Just where are you planning on taking me?" she asked as Draco got off the bed and walked into his large closet.  
  
"I was thinking about Hawaii. I've heard some wonderful things about it and I've always wanted to go there, and I thought it would be a good location since it is so far from England."  
  
"That's perfect! I've always wanted to go there!"  
  
"Great! We'll apparate at eleven tomorrow morning."  
  
They packed all the clothes they would need, which consisted of mainly shorts, t-shirts, and bathing suits. Once Hermione finished packing, she went into the bathroom and took a shower.  
  
While Hermione was in the shower, Draco changed into his pajamas and began to read. He looked up when she sat down next to him.  
  
"Hey," he said as he threw his book onto a chair.  
  
"You don't have to stop reading just because I'm here," she mumbled.  
  
"I was gunna stop soon anyway."  
  
"No you weren't."  
  
"I know, but I'd rather talk to you anyway. You're much more interesting."  
  
"Uh-sure, believe what you want."  
  
"I'll do that." He smirked.  
  
"Okay, fine."  
  
Draco laughed a little and put his arm around her. "Are you gunna relax a little over the next two weeks?" he asked.  
  
"Depends."  
  
"On what?"  
  
"Everything. I'm not so sure about this yet. I wanna have a good time, but what about the war and Harry and everything else?"  
  
"We've been over this. I'm bringing you to Hawaii so you can relax and not worry about the war and what's happening over here. You have to learn how to loosen up. If you don't have a good time in Hawaii, I'll shoot myself," he promised.  
  
At first she looked horrified that he would even say something like that, but she then laughed. "I better make sure to have a good time then. I wouldn't want you to shoot yourself over me."  
  
"Well that's nice to know. On that note, why don't we get some sleep?"  
  
"Sounds good to me."  
  
Hermione rolled onto her side, and Draco encircled her body with his arms. "Goodnight, Hermione."  
  
"Goodnight, Draco," she whispered as she snuggled closer to him.  
  
~  
  
Draco awoke first the next morning with Hermione sleeping soundly in his arms. He smiled and placed a small kiss on her cheek before getting up to shower. Once inside the bathroom, he slid off his pajamas and stepped into the warm water. The water flowed down his hair and face and slid gently down his toned chest and back. He cleaned himself thoroughly and stepped out to dry himself.  
  
He put on black swimming trunks and a navy blue button up Hawaiian shirt. After running a hand through his hair, he placed black sunglasses atop his head and decided to wake Hermione.  
  
He smiled at her sleeping form. Her hair was in her eyes and there was a small smile playing upon her lips. With the sunlight that seeping through the thin slits in the shades, she looked like an angel.  
  
Draco crept silently toward the bed and knelt down beside it. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek and whispered, "Good morning, sunshine." She didn't even stir, so he tried again. When he failed the second time, he stood and retrieved a large glass of cold water from the bathroom. He threw the water on her head and she let out a loud screech as she sat bolt upright.  
  
"Oh fuck! That's cold!" Draco started laughing hysterically, almost to the point where he couldn't breathe. "Why can't you just wake me up like a normal person? That was just mean."  
  
As he caught his breath, he said, "I tried to wake you up like a normal person, but you just laid there, and that was the next thing that came to mind." There was still a smile planted across his face.  
  
She just rolled her eyes at him and kicked off the sheets. Grabbing the clothes she had left out the night before, she went into the bathroom to change. Hermione brushed her teeth after changing and went back to meet Draco. She was wearing a white t-shirt with long orange shorts and her bathing suit underneath.  
  
Draco wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was actually happy that Hermione was modest. He didn't like girls who dressed like sluts all the time. "We have an hour before we leave. Do you want me to have the house elves bring up some breakfast?" Draco asked.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Alright, I'll be right back." He left the room and headed down to the kitchens. He used the alternate route so he wouldn't have to talk to any of the nurses. In all honesty, they pissed him off greatly. They were always hitting on him, and he couldn't stand it.  
  
Once he reached the kitchens, he was greeted warmly by the house elves. "What can we do for Master Draco?" Sharley, one of his favorites, asked.  
  
"I have a beautiful woman in my room who is very hungry. Do you think you could bring breakfast up for us both?"  
  
"Ooh, does Master Draco have a new girlfriend?" she teased.  
  
"I'm hoping. I think she likes me."  
  
"What is you wanting to eat?"  
  
"Anything that tastes good."  
  
"We is doing that for you, sir."  
  
"Thank you, Sharley. Oh, I'm going on vacation for two weeks, but there will be nurses here. I'm sure you've seen them. I want my room and study locked until I get back, and I don't want them snooping all over. Can you do that for me?"  
  
"I will do that, sir. When is you leaving?"  
  
"In fifty minutes," he answered.  
  
"I is having your food to you in ten."  
  
"I'll see you then."  
  
"Bye, Master Draco."  
  
"Goodbye, Sharley."  
  
Unlike Lucius, Draco loved his house elves. He loved the ones at the old manor too, but he wouldn't ever let Lucius know.  
  
Being that he was in a hurry, he forgot to once again take the alternate route to his room, and silently cursed himself after.  
  
"Draco!" he heard a voice call. He pretended not to hear the annoying sound and continued walking although he picked up his pace a little. "Draco!" the voice called again, and he was pulled to face her.  
  
"Good morning, Cindy," he muttered. "I don't have time to talk right now."  
  
"Oh yeah, I heard that Granger was dragging you on vacation or something. That must suck."  
  
"Actually, it's me that's dragging her along. Now, if you'd kindly let me go, I have places to be," he said roughly and pulled his arm out of her grip.  
  
"You've changed," she noted in her annoying, high-pitched voice.  
  
"Yes I have, and I'm glad that I did."  
  
She gave him an icy glare and ran her petite fingers through her long, thin blonde hair. "I liked you, Draco, since the first day we met. I always thought there could be something between us."  
  
"Well you were wrong. I never saw anything more than a friendship," he said coldly. He stalked off back to his room.  
  
Hermione was staring out the window at the massive grey sky. It reminded her strongly of Draco's eyes. She loved his eyes; they were emotionless to all except her, and she liked that. She liked the fact that he was able to open up to her.  
  
"Hey," she mumbled shyly as he walked in.  
  
"Hey," he responded as he sat in the chair next to her. "Food will be here in four minutes."  
  
"Okay. What are they bringing us?"  
  
"I don't know exactly. Whatever they bring will be good, though. I've got some very skilled chefs down there."  
  
"Well that's a good thing. What would you do without house elves? I would love to see the day."  
  
"For you information, I can cook just fine. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, but when they came looking for jobs, I couldn't turn them down."  
  
"Aw, that's sweet. You do care about someone besides yourself."  
  
"I care about you." He stood and leaned against the frame of the window.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around the torso of his body.  
  
"I was just thinking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"My mother. I cared for her, but Lucius would walk all over her, and she wouldn't stop him. She didn't care enough about me to stop him from disowning me. Since then I stopped caring. I was going to kill myself the day you showed up here. I had no one, and then you walked back into my life. It's been only two days, but I feel complete and happy again, and I don't know how you feel, but I know that if something not so great were to occur, I think I would probably kill myself."  
  
"What do you mean 'not so great'?"  
  
"I'm not exactly sure myself." He sighed and turned to face her. "Hermione, I-"  
  
There was a soft knock at the door and Draco broke away from her to answer it. "I is bringing your food, Master Draco," Sharley stated with a smile across her face.  
  
"Thank you, Sharley." He relieved her of the tray and placed a sickle in the palm of her hand.  
  
"Master Draco, I is telling you before, I is not wanting pay. You is needing the money."  
  
"I have plenty of money, Sharley. Why can't you take it?"  
  
"I is not wanting the other house elves to be jealous. I is not wanting paying," she squealed as she handed the coin back to him.  
  
Draco took the silver coin back reluctantly. "Give the others my thanks then, will you?"  
  
"Of course." She bowed deeply and disappeared with a small pop.  
  
Draco placed the tray of food on a small table in the corner of the room. He pulled a chair out for Hermione and sat down across from her.  
  
"Smells delicious," Hermione commented as she took her seat.  
  
"Always does," he responded with his famous smirk.  
  
"So what were you gunna say before?" she asked as she took a small bite of her eggs.  
  
"Oh-um-I don't remember," he lied quickly. Of course he remembered what he was going to tell her, but now that he had time to dwell on it, he realized that it probably wasn't the right time to tell her that sort of thing. She still hadn't shown much affection toward him, and he didn't know if she would get scared and turn away.  
  
"Oh, okay." She glanced up at him and noticed that he hadn't even tried his food, just pushed it around a bit with his fork. "Aren't you gunna eat? The food really is great."  
  
"Yeah, I'm getting to it." He brought his fork slowly to his lips, and bit off a large portion of the sausage that was on the end of it.  
  
They didn't speak for the remainder of breakfast. They each wanted to tell the other how they felt, but neither could bring themselves to do it.  
  
When they had finished eating, Draco cleaned everything with a sweep of his wand. "We have twenty minutes before we depart. Are you sure you have everything?" Draco asked. She nodded and stared out the large window.  
  
Draco's eyes roamed over her body. She had a slim and probably beautiful figure that was hidden beneath her baggy clothes. His head was swimming with thoughts of her and what would happen in the next two weeks. Nothing seemed logical anymore. He wanted to tell her exactly what he felt for her, but every time he opened his mouth, no sound came out. It wasn't like Draco to be at a loss for words, he had always known exactly what to say, but it seemed as if he had lost all his courage.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Draco apparated himself and Hermione to a nice hotel room in Hawaii. It was on the top floor and over-looked the giant blue ocean. The room was huge. There was a large bed, a TV, three chairs, two couches, and a loveseat.  
  
Hermione was in awe, and the only word that escaped her lips was, "Wow!"  
  
Draco smiled at her reaction. She was looking from the ocean to the room to Draco. "Does this meet your approval?" he asked "Can you live here for the next two weeks?"  
  
Nodding her head fervently, she said, "Yes! This is absolutely wonderful! How much did it cost?"  
  
"It wasn't too bad." He shrugged as if to say if was nothing.  
  
"I still say you didn't have to do this for me. I could've managed without this."  
  
"No you wouldn't have. You have been stressed beyond belief, and it looked like you were about to explode. Plus, I have been wanting to get away for a while, and I didn't really feel like going anywhere alone." He jumped on the bed and put his hands under his head.  
  
"Get your lazy ass up!" Hermione demanded. "We just got here, and I am not waiting around here so you can sleep." She crossed her arms defiantly across her chest and waited for him to get up.  
  
"Alright, I'm coming. I just wanted to make sure it was comfortable enough for you to sleep on."  
  
"Sure you were." She grabbed his arm, pulled him to his feet and toward the door. "Draco, we still gotta check in to get our keys, don't we?"  
  
"No, I've got them." He pulled two keys out of his pocket.  
  
"How'd you get those?"  
  
"I'm a wizard. That is all you need to know."  
  
Hermione looked at him questioningly, but said nothing. They rode the elevator down the forty stories, and walked out onto the beach. After setting up their towels, Hermione decided she wanted to tan while Draco went swimming. She took off her shirt and shorts and covered her body in sun tan lotion.  
  
After about an hour, Hermione stood and walked toward the water. Before she was even half way there, a tall man with black hair and blue eyes stepped in front of her. "Hey, babe, wanna come up to my room later?" he asked.  
  
"Uh, no," she answered and tried to walk around him, but he pulled her back.  
  
"Why not? It doesn't look like you have anywhere else to be. I can make all your dreams come true."  
  
"No you can't," she snapped. "Not even my boyfriend is able to do that."  
  
"And where is he? If he was good for you, he'd be over here right now."  
  
"He's swimming, and the ocean is still about a hundred fifty meters away from here, and you're standing in front of me so he wouldn't be able to see me, which might be a problem."  
  
"That don't matter. He should still be checking up on you."  
  
"Hermione, is this guy bothering you?" Draco asked as he snaked his arm around her waist.  
  
"Yes, he won't leave me the fuck alone," she responded and shot a glare at the other man.  
  
"This pretty boy is your boyfriend?" the man snorted. "I feel bad for you."  
  
This pissed Draco off more than it should have, and he punched the man in the jaw. "Don't you ever call me a pretty boy again. I can guarantee you that I can put you out of your misery with the blink of an eye. And if you ever think about coming near my girl again, you will suffer," Draco snarled. Holding his jaw, the man glared at them and stalked off. "Did he do anything to you?" Draco asked concernedly while looking at her gently.  
  
"Just pissed me off. I can't stand that shit. Some guys are such assholes, and I don't even wanna go swimming now."  
  
"Oh come on, don't let that guy ruin your day."  
  
"Can we come back later when there are fewer people here? I feel uncomfortable around them all."  
  
"Alright. We'll go up to our room for now, and come back when it's less crowded."  
  
Hermione hugged him gently and felt the cool water from his body drip onto hers. She shivered at the sudden cold that engulfed her, but chose to ignore it as Draco took her hand and led her back to their towels. Draco dried himself and put his shirt back on while Hermione put on her shirt and shorts.  
  
They walked slowly back to the hotel and up to their room. Hermione sat on the edge of the bed and stared out the window at the ocean. She was thinking about where Harry was and how he was doing. The guy on the beach made her believe that leaving England was the worst decision she could have made.  
  
"Hermione?" Draco's voice broke her trance. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Everything," she answered quietly.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean? I don't understand."  
  
"We should go back, Draco. We shouldn't be here. I made the wrong decision in letting you bring me here." 


	5. A Day at The Amusement Park

CHAPTER 5~ A Day at the Amusement Park  
  
"What are you talking about? I brought you here so you could get away from everything going on in England. You have to relax more. This will be the best thing for you," Draco retorted sounding a bit hurt.  
  
"What about Harry? He's been one of my best friends for ten years, and I feel like I'm abandoning him." She looked up into Draco's eyes. They weren't warm as they had been recently; they were as cold as she had remembered them back in Hogwarts.  
  
"Fine," he snapped. "We'll go back so you can keep in touch with Wonder Boy-everyone's favorite wizard." He tore his eyes away from hers and stared out the large window.  
  
"Draco, I'm sorry," she said quietly.  
  
"Of course you are."  
  
She cringed at the sarcasm in his voice, but walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We don't have to go if you don't want to. I'm sure Hedwig can find me if she needs to."  
  
Turning to face her, he whispered, "Do you want to go back?"  
  
"I don't know. I don't like being so far away, but I don't wanna lose you, and it is really nice here."  
  
Draco sighed and looked at the woman who was standing in front of him, and opened his mouth to tell her how he really felt, but only air came out. "We can go back if you want to," he mumbled at last.  
  
"No, I don't to go right now."  
  
"But I thought-"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
He stared at her as if she had gone crazy, but he didn't get much time to react because she pressed her lips to his. It took his mind a second to register what was going on, but when it did, he responded to her. His arm wrapped around her waist and rubbed her back while hers ran through his hair.  
  
Draco broke away from her and whispered, "I thought you didn't want this. I thought you wanted to take things slow."  
  
"I lied."  
  
She pulled him back for another kiss. He pried her lips open with his tongue and began to explore every part of her mouth. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped one of her legs around his.  
  
Hermione pushed Draco's shirt off his shoulders, and it fluttered to the floor behind him. Her hands ran his hands ran all over his toned back and chest. She began to push him back toward the bed. When the back of his knees made contact, he sat on the edge and Hermione straddled his lap.  
  
Draco pushed Hermione's t-shirt over her head, and pushed her down onto the bed. He trailed small kisses down her neck as he untied her bikini top. When it had been discarded, he massaged her breasts with his hands. She moaned his name in pure pleasure, and he crushed his lips to her for another kiss. His hands moved down her body until they reached the waistband of her orange shorts. He ran his fingers along the inside of her shorts as id he wanted to tease her a bit. When she moaned again, he pulled them off her.  
  
Hermione couldn't stand it anymore. She needed him. Since she knew she wouldn't be able to reach all the way down to pull off his bathing suit, she pushed it down with her feet. "Draco, I need you," she whispered.  
  
He pulled off the bottom of her bathing suit. "Are you sure?" he asked. She only nodded in response.  
  
Slowly, he entered her, but stopped when she closed her eyes, pain etched all over her face. "Don't stop," she begged. She wrapped her legs around him and forced him deeper inside her. Once the look of pain had vanished, Draco pulled out and thrust back into her. He moved slowly at first, but sped up as she urged him to go faster.  
  
They were screaming out each other's names in pure ecstasy as Hermione dug her nails into Draco's back. Draco felt himself coming close to his climax, and he knew he couldn't hold on much longer. "Hermione, I'm coming," he panted, thrusting faster and harder. Hermione screamed out as he filled her.  
  
Draco collapsed onto her chest and listened to her rapid heartbeat. They were both breathing heavily, just holding each other close. Hermione was absentmindedly drawing circles on Draco's back as their breathing slowed.  
  
Draco was truly happy as he lay there with Hermione. This was his chance to tell her how he felt, and he knew it. "Hermione?"  
  
"Yes, Draco?"  
  
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before whispering, "I love you."  
  
Her hands stopped moving on his back. He sighed disappointedly and started cursing himself. Finally, he looked up at her. She was smiling as she said, "I love you, too."  
  
He pulled himself off of her and lay beside her, propped up on one elbow. He placed a soft kiss on her lips, and she cuddled closer to his bare chest. Nothing mattered to either of them then. They were just happy to be with the person they loved.  
  
There was a sudden, loud tapping at the window. Draco rolled his eyes and let the owl into the room. "Hedwig!" Hermione said happily as the bird flew over to her and dropped a letter on her lap. She tore the envelope open and unfolded the letter hastily.  
  
Draco sat back down on the bed as Hermione read. Hedwig snapped at him and flew over to sit on the table. He put his arm around her and read over her shoulder.  
  
~Dear Hermione,  
  
I hope all is well with you. I have finally found some time to write to you. I'm sure that you already head about Ron. How are you holding up? It's so boring here without him. I miss him so much. On to happier news, I feel that the war is coming to a close, and I'll be able to see you and Ginny again, which I am very much looking forward to. We are getting closer to Voldemort and I think we will find him soon. That's bad for me though, since I'm the one who's going to have to face him. Sure I've faced him before, but I'm still scared. What if he kills me the first chance he gets? Would he die too? I don't want to think about this, and I don't want you to worry about me. I hope to see you soon.  
  
Love from Harry~  
  
Hermione frowned as she got to the last part of the letter. "Do you think Voldemort will try to kill Harry?" she asked Draco.  
  
"I don't know. When I was younger, I was forced to go to some of the meetings, and he wasn't hesitant to kill anyone, not even the Death Eaters. Don't worry about it though. Potter knows how to protect himself. He proved that while we were still in school."  
  
"I know he did, but times have changed. He has seen so much over the last four years, and I don't know how much more he can handle. He's strong and everything, but he's my best friend. I've already lost Ron. I can't loose Harry too." Silent tears streamed from her eyes as she leaned closer to Draco. "I should right back to him," she mumbled.  
  
She got up and wrapped a bathrobe around her body. Grabbing a pen and a piece of paper out of the desk drawer, she began:  
  
~Dear Harry,  
  
I've been okay. I was with Ron when he died. I miss him terribly and I still can't believe that he's gone.~  
  
"Draco, should I tell him about us?" she asked.  
  
"If you want to. I don't see why not, but he might flip out a little bit." She nodded then went back to writing.  
  
~Draco Malfoy is actually the person that has been helping me most. Now, before you start to go ballistic, he's changed. He's not the same person he was back in Hogwarts. He's really sweet and he actually listens to me. I hope this war ends soon. I can't wait to see you again. Please return safely.  
  
Love, Hermione~  
  
She folded it and placed it neatly into an envelope. After giving Hedwig some food, she sent her off with the letter to Harry. She fell back on the bed and laid her head on Draco's strong chest. He rubbed her back gently and her eyes began to droop a bit. A few more tears slid down her cheeks as she fell asleep in Draco's arms.  
  
~  
  
A few hours later, Hermione woke up. When she didn't see Draco anywhere, she started to panic, but calmed when she heard the T.V. She got up and sat down next to Draco on the couch. He smiled and put his arm around her shoulder.  
  
"Have a nice nap?" he asked.  
  
"Yup," she answered.  
  
"Are you feeling any better?"  
  
She shrugged and said, "A little, maybe."  
  
Draco caressed her cheek with his thumb, and she moved closer to him. She ran her hand over his still bare chest. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever, but in reality was only a few seconds.  
  
"Don't leave me, Draco," she whispered.  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it. I could never leave you," he promised.  
  
"Can we go down to the beach now? The sun's setting and it probably looks really pretty down there. I haven't seen the sunset in so long-since we left Hogwarts, really.  
  
"Sure," Draco agreed. He already had his bathing suit on, and he had to grab a shirt.  
  
Hermione, on the other hand had to put her bathing suit back on again because she had fallen asleep in the bathrobe. She changed quickly and headed outside with Draco.  
  
She was right. The sunset was beautiful. The sky was painted an array of colors from red to yellow to blue to purple to orange. The colors reflected off the calm water and they made the water look almost glassy.  
  
There were few people left on the beach, and most were packing up to leave. Draco and Hermione set up their towels near the water and watched the sun sink out on the horizon.  
  
Once the sun had set and the sky had become dark, Draco pulled Hermione to her feet and walked toward the water. The water was warm and rolled up against their ankles. It had been so long since either of them had been to the beach; they had both forgotten how it felt to have the water wash up against them.  
  
Without warning, Draco dropped Hermione's hand and dove under the waves into deep depths of the ocean. Hermione smiled and dove down after him. She had also forgotten how free she felt swimming under the water.  
  
When Draco surfaced he was surprised that Hermione wasn't where he had left her. He looked all around, but could not find her anywhere. There was a slight tug on his leg, which almost pulled him under, and Hermione surfaced next to him, smiling up into his grey eyes.  
  
Draco splashed her playfully, and she splashed him back in retaliation. They continued to splash water at each other until Hermione's arms got tired, and she threw her arms up in defeat and cried, "I quit! You win! You win!"  
  
"Ha! Ha!" he called out triumphantly. "I always win!"  
  
"You are so immature."  
  
"Not always. I just haven't had fun in-come to think of it, I don't think I was even allowed to have fun when I was younger."  
  
Hermione waded over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck while pressing her lips to his. They continued their passionate embrace, and neither saw the large wave coming toward them. When it hit them it forced them apart. Both washed up onto the sand, laughing uncontrollably. Draco managed to control himself and climbed on top of Hermione with one knee on each side of her, pinning her to the ground. He leaned down and kissed her passionately. They could taste the salt on their lips and mouths as their tongues battled for control. Darkness surrounded them and the stars twinkled above them in the black sky above.  
  
~  
  
The first week passed quickly. Draco would take Hermione out to different restaurants every night. He spent a lot of money even though Hermione insisted that he didn't have to. She said that she wasn't worth that kind of attention, but he paid no heed to her pleadings, and ended up spending more money on her.  
  
Finally, Draco decided that they needed to go somewhere a little more exciting than the beach, and he took her to an amusement park.  
  
When they arrived, Hermione's eyes widened at the sight of the roller coasters and water slides. "Draco," she squeaked, "you didn't have to take me here."  
  
"Yeah, I know that, but I wanted to. The beach was starting to get boring, and I'd figured I'd spice things up a bit. You do like roller-coasters, don't you?"  
  
"Of course I do! They're the greatest rides ever invented!"  
  
It was very early when they arrived. The park wasn't even open yet. Draco didn't want to wait on any long ticket lines, he wanted to be first so they could spend all day on the rides.  
  
They went to the ticket booth and a girl of about twenty-three was selling tickets. She had long, red hair, a few scattered freckles, and bright blue eyes. She smiled at Draco as he approached the window. "How many tickets will you need?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.  
  
"Two," he answered rolling his eyes at her.  
  
She handed him the tickets. "Here you are. That's one hundred dollars even." Draco pulled two fifties out of his wallet and handed them to her. "My name's Jess, by the way. I'll be working in the park later. Maybe I'll see you for lunch or something." She batted her eyes a few times.  
  
"Yeah, right, or maybe I'll eat lunch and hang with my girlfriend without some slut trying to get with me," he replied coldly. Jess looked taken aback as he took the two tickets and put his arm around Hermione's waist as they walked to the gate. "I can't stand people like that," he mumbled under his breath.  
  
"Don't let it get to you. Let's just have a good time."  
  
They walked to the gate and gave their tickets to the ticket-man then headed toward the largest roller coaster in the park. No one was on line since it was so early. Hermione convinced Draco to ride in the first row so they'd get the maximum experience from the ride. As soon as everyone was seated and locked in, the ride jerked to a start, and they were soon headed slowly up the first hill. Hermione looked down in anticipation of the drop. The first had always been her favorite because she liked the feeling of her stomach dropping and the wind blowing across her face.  
  
Draco was also itching with anticipation as they climbed higher and higher. To him, the first drop was almost like going into a steep dive to catch the snitch. Only Quidditch was ten times better.  
  
As they reached the peak, they barely had time to look around before they were sent soaring downward. They both screamed on the way down even though they weren't scared in the slightest bit. Screaming on a roller coaster was part of the excitement. They went around loops and corkscrews, and both were smiling almost manically. As they came out of one of the loops in the middle of the ride, there was a bright flash of light from a camera. At the end of the ride, they both had a lot of energy because a roller coaster will do that to a person. They walked down the many stairs at the end and headed toward the photo booth. They decided to buy the picture since it turned out so good.  
  
"How come it doesn't move?" Draco asked as he stared at it.  
  
"It's a Muggle photo, Draco. They don't move. I thought you knew that. You've been to Muggle places before."  
  
"Yeah, but I never really bothered looking at pictures. I just figured they all moved like they do in our world."  
  
Hermione smiled at his naïveté and shook her head a little. "Let's go on some more rides," she suggested while grabbing his hand and pulling him along.  
  
"I haven't seen you this happy in a while," Draco noted as they waited in line for the log flume.  
  
"Yeah, well I haven't had this much fun in a while. I haven't been to an amusement park in years, and I've forgotten what it was to be a kid long ago."  
  
"That makes two of us," he replied sardonically.  
  
They continued to ride on just about every ride until about two, when they decided that it was time for lunch. Most of the food places had extremely long lines, but they eventually found a place that wasn't so bad.  
  
Draco waited on line to buy the food while Hermione sat down at a table to save it for them. She looked around at the young children, who were walking with their parents. She smiled at their innocence. Nothing really mattered to them at that age. They didn't know of real pain yet.  
  
"Hermione? Hermione Granger?"  
  
Hermione turned around and saw a woman of about her age with red hair and freckles. "Yes? That's me." She studied the woman's face for a while before she cried, "Susan Bones!"  
  
The girl nodded and smiled. She had been in the Hufflepuff House at Hogwarts and became a friend of Hermione's in sixth year. "It's so good to see you again," Susan said and embraced her in a hug. "What are you doing here, anyway?"  
  
"Oh, I'm here with my boyfriend," Hermione responded with a small smile.  
  
"Ooh who? Where is he," she urged, craning her neck to look around.  
  
"Do you remember Draco Malfoy?" Susan nodded. "Well, he's my boyfriend now and he's over there buying our food."  
  
Susan's eyes widened and she stared at Hermione as if she'd gone crazy. "No. Draco Malfoy? You two hated each other in school? What happened?"  
  
"Well I never really hated him. I've actually liked him since well-along time, and it turns out that he's liked me for a long time as well, and we just did the logical thing."  
  
"But you fought him for seven years!"  
  
Hermione sighed. "I know. But I wish I never had."  
  
Draco slid the tray onto the table and sat down next to Hermione. "Who's this?" he asked.  
  
"You remember Susan Bones from school, don't you?" she replied, picking up a fry and putting in her mouth.  
  
"Yes, of course. It's nice to see you again." He shook her hand. "What brings you all the way out here?"  
  
"I'm visiting my sister. She works here and will be meeting me any minute. Oh there she is."  
  
The girl that Draco remembered as Jess came walking toward them and sat down next to Susan. "You know them?" she asked, eyeing Draco and Hermione.  
  
"Yeah, we went to school together," Susan responded.  
  
"Well he wasn't exactly nice to me," Jess huffed. "He was actually quite rude and called me a slut."  
  
"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it. That's just the way she is." Although she was trying to soothe her sister, she glared at Draco.  
  
Draco opened his mouth to argue, but Hermione cut him off. "I wasn't accepted there, so I went to another school in the United States. I wasn't too happy about it at first, but it's a very nice school."  
  
Jess stood to buy food for herself and Susan and left the three of them to talk once again. "You called her a slut?" Susan queried, looking at Draco.  
  
"She was hitting on me with Hermione standing two feet away! What was I supposed to say? I don't like people who wanna get with me just 'cause I look good."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and Jess sat back down. She looked closely at Draco then said, "Don't I know you from somewhere?"  
  
"No, I don't recall seeing you before today."  
  
"Yes, I have definitely seen you somewhere before, or someone who looks like you. What's your last name?"  
  
"It's Malfoy, although I don't like to admit it."  
  
"Are you related to Lucius in any way?" Her eyes visibly lit up.  
  
"He was my father. I was disowned years ago because I refused to be like him. How do you know him?"  
  
"I-I met him l-last time I was in England to-to visit my family," she stuttered and looked away.  
  
"I know. That's when I met him." She brought a fry to her mouth, and a black blemish on her left arm caught Draco's attention.  
  
"What's that?" he asked sharply.  
  
"It's-it's nothing," she said covering her arm. 


End file.
